Retaining-wall structure and method of building same.



No. 837,962.' PATENTED DEC. ll, 1906.

W. P. RICE.

RETAINING WALL STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF BULDTNG SAME.

, APPLICATION FILED MARA, 1903. RBNEWED JUNI: 11,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@will/7% MM M No. 837,962. PATLNTLD DLG. 11, 1906.

w.1 111GB. RLTAINLNG- WALL STRUGTURLAND METHOD 0F BUILDING SAME.

A TTUHNEY inviTn-n sTnTns 'PATENT cierren.

WALTER l). RICE, OF CLEVFLAND, GHIG,v ASSlGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO l ARTHURE. MERKFL, QF CLEVELAND, OHlO.

RETAINiNc-WALL STRUCTURE AND METHOD er eulLciNe SAME.

No. eer/,eea

To all whom, tn/tay concern:

. Be it known that I, WALTER F. Rien, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cu.. ahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useiul lmprovement in Retaining-Tall Structures and Methods of Building Same, of which the fcllowing is a speeication, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in Which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to structures for retaining-Walls, Wing-Walls for arches, culverts, etc., dams, brealiwaters, etc., its object being to provide a construction of such character ha ving the required characteristics incident to their use and to render their construction s advantageous as possible from the standpoint of economy. A

The said invention consists oi moans and a method hereinafter' fully described, andspeciiically set lforth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying 'l the invention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various me chanical forms in Which the principle of the invention may be used.

In saidannexed drawings, Figure l represents in perspective a section of a retaining- Wall embodying my invention and resulting from my above-mentioned method. Figs. Il and lll re resent transverse sections of such a Wall, ta ren upon the planes indicated by the lines A B and C D, respectively, Fig. l. Fig. 1V represents an enlarged transverse section of a part of the rear or tension side oi said Wall, taken upon the plane indicated by lines C D, Fig. l, one of the reinforcing-rods being omitted. Fig. V represents on a scale similar to that ci Fig. 1V a transverse section of a part of the rear side of such Wall, taken upon the plane .indicated byline A B. Fig. VI represents a section of the lower part of a portion of such Wall,vl taken upon a horizontal plane, a number of molding-boards in position and illustrating in' part. the method of constructing the Wall. Fig. VII represents a detail section, on an enlarged scale, of a part of the rear portion of the Wall and taken upon the plane indicated by line E F, Fig. Il.

Ilshall iirst describe the structure itself and Speeiiicaton of Letters Patent.

Application flied March 4, 1903. Renewed June 11,1905. Serial No. 321,202.

Twentse nee. 1 1, ieee.

then the method by which l produce that structure.

The general form of the structure is vthat oi' a pyramid, but is susceptible to all the variapractice in retaining-Wall designs; the pyramid form being that customarily' used for this purpose. ,Upon a base H, of concrete or cement or other similar indurating material, is formed a continuous connectedv homogeneous mass of rigidlyset concrete or cement forming top, bottom, and side Walls of a series of superimposed ca vities J segregated from each other. These cavities are oi equal width but of varying cross-sectional area,jas shown, and ha vc their front Walls' `all formed of one continuous mass ci concrete or cement, forming the fiat front surface of the retaining-wall- As illustrated, each series consists of four cavities ,z but, as will be readily understood, any required number may be provided. The rear or tension'walls y" oli' all but the upper cavity of each series are 'formed by upright walls of concrete or cement, and the tions in crosssection incidental. to recognized general cross-section of the Wholestructure separating mass of concrete or cement i'orming the cavity-Walls. These transverse Walls hence form common side Walls of adjacent cavities of adjacent series, as will be understood. The front of' each of the said Walls js terminates in the plane of the front of the` retaining-Wall, and its rear terminates in the plane of the rearthereoi', as shown, the top and bottom terminating in the lane of the top and bottom, respectively, of t e retainingwall, as shown in Fig. Il.

In the middle of the rear or tension ortion or iibers ci each Wall jg are rreinforcingrods 7c, extending substantially throu hout its length, as shown in Fig. II, they eing IOC embedded in the concrete or cement during manner of reinforcing'concrete or cement.

and other indurating material.- Op xosite the ends of the rearcavity-walls an "1embedded in the walls j are a number of upright bars '/c, parallel with such rear walls. Through each of the latter extend aA series of horizontal bars k2, whose ends engage the upright bars 7c', as shown in Fig. V. Such construction transfers the strain or tension in the rear walls j to the bars c, and hence to the transverse walls j. In the place of having a single reinforciiig-rod t' in the walls LII jia number of such rods may be used`and suitably placed, as illustrated in Fig. YH.

Each of the cavities of each series isjiilled with a i'ion-integral substance li, such earth, this substance being tan'iped and compressed to form a compact mass of substantially the same speciiic gravity as the concrete or the cement and tilling the cavities completely. These segregated non-rigid masses of non-integral material are hence fixed relatively to eachother by means of the lion'iegeneous intermediate integral mass of rigid concrete or cement forming the coniiccting surrounding walls.

ln constructing the above-described structure l begin by laying a portion of the base portion ll and forni in succession the walls of the cavities by means of molding-boards M., Fig. Vl'. As fast. as the bottom, ends,

and sides of the cavities are completed and` 'lhese cavities are formed consecutively and iilled, as above described, until the whole structure is complete. ln this manner l ain able to utilize a practically costless n'iaterial almost always at hand to form a large proportion. of my improved structure and at the same time obtain all the physical characteristics required-that is, a gravity section oi a solid section which resists overturning or sliding under exterior' pressure by virtue of its dead-wright.

Other modes of aiiplying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made ,as re- --gards the means herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore i'iarticiilarly point out and distinctly claim as my invention- 1. A structure consisting of a connected,

rigid homogeneous mass formingfa plurality of segregated superimposed cavities; and nonintegral material such as earth filling such cavities.

2, A retaining-wall structure consisting of a shell of concrete or cement formed with an adjacent series of superim viosed cavities, each series heilig separated y a transverse upright partition.

3. A retaining-wall structure consisting of a shell of concrete, formed with an adjacent series of superimposed cavities, each series being separated by a transverse upright artition, extending beyond the outside sur ace of one side of such shell, and with transverse surfaces intersecting the .plane of such outside surface interniediately of said partitions.

el.. A retaining-wall structure consisting of a shell of `concrete or cement formed with interior cavities separated by upright transverse partitions extending transversely through the structure, and means for transferring the stress or tension on the rear walls of said cavities to said partitions.

5, A retaining-wall structure consisting of a shell of concrete er cement formed with interior cavities separa-ted by upright partitions extending transversely through the structure, bars embedded in said partitions, and bars embedded in the tension portion` of the walls` of said cavities and engaging said artition-bars to transfer tension from said walls to said partitions.

(5. A retaining-wall structure consisting of a shell of concrete or cement formed with interior cavities separated by'upright Walls eX- tending` transversely through the structure, and provided with means for transferring the stresser tension. in longitudinal walls of such cavities to such transverse Walls.

7. A retaining-Wall structure consisting of a shell of concrete or cement formed With iiiterior cavities separated `by upright walls ex- .tending transversely through the structure, and provided with means for transferring stress or tension in the tension side of longitudinal walls of such cavities to such Walls.

8. 'lhe method of constructing a built-up structure for retaining-walls and the like, which consists. in forming upright'transverse and horizontal walls of a continuous integral mass of indurating material to form a series of superimposed` cavities, and filling such cavities prior to their complete closure with a non-integral material such as earth.

Signed by me this 24th day of .li'ebruaiy, i903.

Wai/init r. nien.

Attest:

(. SAYWELL, A. E. M simian.

IOC

IIO 

